Thirteen years removed, Anthony Iapoce still considers the 2005 Northern League title he won as a RailCats outfielder the highlight of his playing career.

The seeds of his coaching career also were cultivated during his two seasons in Gary, particularly the one under manager Greg Tagert.

The Cubs announced Monday they hired Iapoce as their hitting coach after the 45-year-old spent three seasons in that role with the Rangers.

The Queens, N.Y., native lived in the Region for nine years.

“My last season playing, being around those younger guys and helping them, I thought, ‘I could probably do this,’” Iapoce said. “Playing for Tags (Tagert) was a huge influence on how I look at things.”

Tagert had no doubts Iapoce, who was seminal in establishing the RailCats’ clubhouse culture, would transition seamlessly into coaching.

“It was great news when he got his first job after playing with us and the news just keeps getting better and better each time,” Tagert said. “It’s well deserved. Anthony’s wonderful professionally and personally.”

After nine seasons in the Brewers and Marlins organizations, playing at Class AAA for parts of four seasons and twice participating in major league spring training, Iapoce signed with the RailCats in 2004. After they set a league record for losses, he considered retiring.

But he returned in 2005, helping the RailCats win the franchise’s first title and being named Most Outstanding Player of the championship series.

Iapoce retired on that note, landing a job with the Marlins’ short-season Class A Jamestown affiliate in 2006. Then came stints with Class A Greensboro, Class A Jupiter, three years as roving hitting coordinator with the Blue Jays and three more as a special assistant to the general manager with the Cubs from 2013 to 2015.

“It’s the first time I’ve been able to go back to something in my coaching career, so there’s familiarity,” Iapoce said. “You can walk in and already know everybody and get to work.

“But you still have to reconnect those relationships with the players and staff. Things change in three years, I’ve changed — I have three kids now and had one-and-a-half when I left. But being there when everything first started with rebuilding, I have some insight.”

Iapoce chuckled when asked about his philosophy.

“It’s crazy — that word can mean a lot of different things,” he said. “You just set standards for yourself and the team. All you ask players is to stay focused and stay in the moment, grind out at-bats and work your butt off. The ultimate goal is to win the World Series.”

Staff shuffle: Brian Lyter was promoted from RailCats general manager to president of Salvi Sports Enterprises, with Brian Flenner hired as GM.

Ohio native Flenner has 20 years of experience in sports business. He spent six seasons with the Akron RubberDucks, the Indians’ Class AA affiliate, the last three as director of ticket operations.

“My wife and I made a goal that I wanted to become a general manager,” Flenner said. “We want to make a difference in the community, help lead young men and do everything in our power to make sure fans have a good time.”

Lyter was impressed with Flenner.

“Brian really understands minor league baseball is group-sales driven,” Lyter said. “You can see how much passion he has. He was ready to take that next step.”

So too was Lyter, who spent four seasons as RailCats general manager after one each as assistant GM and director of sales. Now he will oversee the RailCats, Frontier League’s Schaumburg Boomers and Futures Collegiate Baseball League’s North Shore Navigators.

Making moves: The RailCats traded infielder Garrett Copeland to the expansion Milwaukee Milkmen for a player to be named or cash.

They also re-acquired outfielder John Price Jr. from the Frontier League’s Florence Freedom to complete May’s trade of pitcher Chuck Weaver, and acquired pitcher Steve Pastora from the now-dormant Wichita Wingnuts to complete a July 2017 deal for outfielder Tyler Sullivan.